We have updated our Terms & Conditions. To continue, please confirm that you have read and accept these:

You have to agree to pocketmags.com's Terms & Conditions to proceed

This website use cookies and similar technologies to improve the site and to provide customised content and advertising. By using this site, you agree to this use. To learn more, including how to change your cookie settings, please view our Cookie Policy

Have a tidy house (and mind)

A few simple changes to your daily habits will not only help turn your home into a peaceful refuge but leave you feeling fulfilled, says Buddhist monk Shoukei Matsumoto

HOW TO…

WORDS: SUZY GREAVES. PHOTOGRAPH: GETTY IMAGES

1 Clean with intention. In Japan, cleaning isn’t just about removing dirt, it’s also linked to cultivating the mind. A monk’s day begins with cleaning. We sweep the temple grounds and gardens, and polish the main temple hall. We don’t do this because it’s dirty or messy; we do it to eliminate the gloom in our hearts.

About Psychologies

When we change our minds, we change our lives. This issue explores what happens when we do just this. What if you didn’t resign from a job, but could change the way you feel about it? Or what about finding a new way to open up to love? Or, what happens when we challenge the judgements we make about ourselves and each other? Read the astonishing life-changing effects of what happens when you think differently.
Change doesn’t always feel positive - you're made redundant, or your relationship breaks down, or we lose someone we love. And it's awful. Yes, we don’t always have control over what happens out there, but we always have control over how we react to it. This issue explores how to change our perspective to create the world we want.